An enormous acceleration of history has occurred in the current
decade, thereby radically changing world society in many respects.
The core countries--grouped around the triad formed by the United
States, Japan, and the European Union--have experienced successive
waves of change marked by phases of ascent, unfolding, and decay of
societal models. What seemed stable and predictable in past decades
came close to collapse or broke down entirely. As a result, we are
now living through a crisis of legitimation characterized by acute
contradictions. A new order, with a fresh, basic consensus around
an overarching set of norms that allows problems to be solved
efficiently, has not yet crystallized.
"Western Society in Transition "examines the succession of
societal models of the Western world and indications of its
probable shape in the future. Bornschier characterizes the
1985-1995 period as a decade of Third World debt and depression;
continued economic decline in the United States; a steady ascent of
Japan; Western Europe's move toward political union, and the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Against this background, he sketches
various elements of a theoretical perspective he calls
"evolutionary conflict theory. "The primary focus of interest of
this theory is not on single societies, but on measures of social
transformation at the core of world society. "Western Society in
Transition "deals with fundamental questions: How does social order
arise and why does it dissolve? What provides social cohesion? What
makes society progress? Institutional spheres of Western society
such as technology, firms, the market, state building, education,
power, conflict, and social movements are analyzed in detail.
Peter Lengyel, editor emeritus of the "International Social
Science Journal "says of "Western Society in Transition, "I "have
never seen such a succinct, clear, and persuasive treatment which
adroitly draws together elements from economics, history,
sociology, and technology into a strictly contemporary kind of
political economy." This timely assessment of the Western world
will be of interest to social scientists, historians, economists,
and international relations scholars.
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